Top Restaurants in Iceland

I must admit when I researched Iceland prior to our trip I was very worried when I read about local food including Shark and Lamb hotdogs and other Foreign menu Items. I was convinced I would be snacking most of the day. That is why I packed alot of snacks (listed in How To Survive Iceland post). I was pleasantly surprised by the food. I only had to eat out for lunch and dinner mostly as our hotel provided a buffet breakfast in the trip package cost. If you really want to save you could pack food from breakfast for your lunch. :) I am a pesco pollo vegetarian, meaning I only eat fish and chicken, no beef, pork or shellfish. I also try to eat somewhat health conscious outside of traveling with smoothies and salads etc. Also I packed some alcohol (check the amount you can bring before traveling) and found cheap alcohol at the Duty Free Store in the Airport in Iceland so results may vary based on what type of food you eat, if your hotel includes breakfast and what you bring with you. It is also based on the exchange rate at time of travel. Everything is very fresh in Iceland and it’s safe to drink the water in the restaurants. My trip was 4 days. Here are a few spots worth checking out that won’t cost a lot of money. Typical Main Course price for these restaurants is $9.54 to $18.35. If you have any places in Iceland you recommend, please comment below!

Lunch

Kebabhúsið

A great spot for lunch with pizza, sandwiches and salads. I had the chicken Mexicana pizza it was very good. The pizza could serve 2-3 people. It’s a small spot. A lot of places served Pizza.

Coffee and Pastries

As we walked down to the main part of downtown Reykjavik from Hallgrimskirkja church an awesome aroma filled the street we looked around to find the origination and a local told us he highly recommended getting a waffle from Mokka Kaffi. It’s a small coffee shop and there was a small line. We decided to get a waffle to split with 4 people to see what the fuss was about. It was the best waffle I’ve had in my life. It came with whip cream and apricot jam. I didn’t try the coffee but you could tell this was a popular place and I’m sure the coffee is great. If you want as a meal one would be fine for one person if you just want a snack its great to split between 2-4 people. I dreamed about this waffle the whole trip so much that I trekked into town on my last day to get another one.

Happy Hour

Dillon Whiskey Bar:

After looking at the various sidewalk menus for happy hour, we stumbled upon Dillon Whiskey Bar. It is known for a wide selection of Whiskey from all over the world. During happy hour they also have beer and select liquor specials. It’s a really laid back atmosphere, with dark lighting and low music. The bartender was very friendly and you can order food from Chuck Norris Grill just below the bar.

Late Night Happy Hour

Iceland has two happy hours, the traditional “After work” crowd and a late night happy hour from 10pm-1am Thurs-Sat. This trendy cozy spot offers food and unique cocktails. The service was good but they were crowded which made for kind of slow service.

Late Night Food

Chuck Norris Grill:

Most restaurants stop serving Dinner and or close at 10pm. Thank goodness Chuck Norris Grill stayed open to 1am. They have a nice menu with bar food ranging from burgers to chicken tenders. They have a “Chili Bar” with over 20 chili sauces to add to your meal.

Weekend Brunch

After Prikid stays open to about 4 am as a nightclub it quickly turns back into a restaurant. Brunch ranged from pancakes to burgers and alcoholic milkshakes. Food came out pretty quick and great. I had the fish fillet sandwhich with a salad instead of fries. No tarter sauce for the fish or ranch lol :D

Dinner

A Thai food restaurant located in the Northern part of Downtown in an Icelandic house. It was pretty crowded. The menu was extensive. It took a while for the food to come but it was worth the wait. It was awesome. Each of us chose a different item and each tasted great. The service here was awesome as they did not rush us. We didn’t know they closed at 10 but they waited for us to finish.

All of these restaurants are located in Downtown Reykjavik most off Laugavegur street which is the main street downtown for shopping and dining. I did take the Golden Circle excursion and had one day where I ate at the tourist shops on the tour. The food was good but of course a little more expensive than the city.